Day In The Life: Weekend Toddler Schedule

Since Rob and I both work full time, our weekdays are pretty much set in terms of Rob brings Zoey to daycare by 8, I pick her up by 3:30, and then we head home to play outside, have dinner, and bed by 7. Because our weekdays are so structured, my goal is to soak up as much time as I can with Zoey on the weekends and make them packed with fun activities, play, and a bit of learning.

I also make it a point to be super present on the weekday afternoons and weekends with her. That means I am not on my phone a lot, I get on the floor with her and play, and I really focus on my patience especially now that we are entering the toddler opinions/tantrums phase. Now, when I am home with Zoey for a week or more at a time when I have a school vacation, this gets a little harder to do and I have so much respect for all you stay at home moms. It has to be the job that requires the most patience in the world!

The toddler weekend schedule I have here is pretty consistent. This is also the schedule I try to keep when Zoey and I are home together for a week while I am on a school break. With baby #2 due in June, I am sure this schedule will get thrown out the window as we enter the world of two nap schedules, two eating schedules, and the adjustments that a new baby brings. Those of you who have done it already, I would love any and all advice on how to make the introduction and schedule changes of a new baby smoother!

5:00 am – Rob and I get up. We are big believers in waking up at a consistent (or within an hour) time each day. I check in with clients, answer emails, and do some general blog work.

6:30-7:30 am – Zoey is usually up and ready to play. She tends to play in her crib for a little while in the morning as she wakes up, reading books to her stuffed animals. Once she starts whining, we head up for a diaper change, teeth brush, and usually some reading in her room. The girl is a complete bookworm!

7:30-8:30 am – Lately, we have gotten into the habit of making a solid breakfast on weekend mornings. Since eating consistently on weekends is an area of my health I am working on, I find starting the day with eggs, fruit, and toast really helps to set the tone for the rest of my daily nutrition. Zoey usually gobbles up some salsa eggs, berries, and toast as well.

9:00 am – I have no idea why leaving the house by 9 on the weekends feels like a rush when Rob is able to get both of them out of the house by 7:30 on weekdays, but I am usually running around getting Zoey and myself dressed, reloading the diaper bag with all the snacks, and convincing Zoey to get in the car and let me buckle her in. If we bait her with a ball, book, or a snack, she is usually more willing to sit in her carseat.

9:00-11:00 am – We strive to do some kind of fun, Zoey-geared activity in the morning. I really enjoy getting both her and I out of the house for a little bit to have that stimulation, give her new experiences, and push her out of her comfort zone a touch. Zoey tends to be a bit shy and timid in the beginning of any new situation or where there are a lot of people, so getting her away from the house is good for her. She is usually running around and making friends within 15 minutes.
Apart from activities like hikes, library visits, and playground exploration, I am always on the lookout for toddler friendly events to bring Zoey to. For instance, last weekend we went to the free day at the Denver Art Museum. We have also visited the zoo, the pool, and this weekend there is a pop up Sesame Street event at our mall.

11:30-12:30 – Whatever activity we do in the morning, I plan for us to be home by 12:30 at the latest. This gives Zoey time to have some lunch (she is a slow eater) and get down for a nap. While Zoey eats, we chat about what we did in the morning, practice counting, “talk”, and I try to convince her to eat.

12:30-2:30pm – Zoey crashes for her nap. Depending on how stimulating of a morning it was, she can sleep anywhere from 2-3 hours. The hardest days are when she skips her nap entirely and is not happy even just playing her crib for a bit of down time. Thankfully, those days are few and far between as my goal is usually to wear her out in the mornings.

While Zoey naps, I fit in a quick workout, check in with clients, and work on some blog items. Lunch for me happens at some point in here too.

2:30-4:30 pm – When Zoey wakes up with all her renewed energy, she has a quick snack, and then we head outside for a walk, to ride her Strider bike, play with chalk, or her latest obsession: bubbles. The goal is to be outside and enjoy some fresh air.

4:30-6:30 pm – We attend our Saturday night 5pm church service. Rob and I volunteer in kids ministry every other weekend, so we have to leave the house around 4. Whether we are serving with the kids or sitting in service, Zoey gets to play in her child care room. We are so fortunate to have consistent volunteers who love her and appreciate her calm demeanor at a time of night when many of the kiddos get a bit cranky.

6:30 pm – Dinner! Depending on the night, Zoey might have leftovers, chicken nuggets, or some pizza. We try to make dinner efficient on Saturday nights as Zoey has a strict 7pm bedtime on weekdays and we want to get as close to that as possible on weekends. But again, we have a slow eater and she is usually a bit slap happy at this point.

7:30 pm – Bedtime for Zoey. After a busy day and church care, the girl typically passes out hard. Rob and I are not far behind her as just like our mornings, we tend to go to the bed around the same time each night which is between 9:30-10.

While this sounds like a lot, our main focus of the day, like most toddler moms, is scheduled around lunch and nap time. We try to stick to a similar schedule to what Zoey experiences at daycare, but are usually late on the lunch and nap routine by about an hour. It does not seem to bother Zoey though especially with our slower weekend mornings.

What is your weekend (or weekday) toddler schedule like?